Page 77 of Thomas
“How was I to know? And whatever the consequences were, you look very well now.” Wyatt waved a flippant hand in Thomas’s general direction, indicating his body. “You’re as striking and handsomely put together as ever, so whatever they did had little impact in the long run. You’re perfectly fine!”
The words were like a sharp knife to Thomas’s throat, and his breathing hitched. With a flash of heat, his eyes alighted. “How dare you?”
Wyatt drew back dramatically. “Wh-what has come over you?—”
“You willnotsit here and belittle my suffering simply because you can’t outwardly see the remnants of it! You have no idea what I—how much I’ve—” Thomas shook his head, bewildered with rage, shame and an entire catalog of feelings that he didn’t quite understand.
One thing he knew for certain, he was not about to justify his trauma to this vampire.
“Leave, Wyatt. I never want to see you again.”
“Oh, Anton, please?—”
“Now.Go away.” Thomas stood and rubbed a palm down his face, desperately trying to get ahold of himself. “Mira?”
His maidservant came in at once and gave a hasty bow. “Yes, your grace?”
“Wyatt is done here. Please see him out.”
“Yes, of course.” She stepped back toward the door and held it, gesturing for Wyatt to follow her.
Ruffled, Wyatt stood and adjusted his suit jacket. “Really,Anton, I feel that you are being most unreasonable. Unforgiving! It was an innocent mistake on my part. I had no idea.”
“Stop calling me Anton. I hate hearing it and it’s not my name. It’s like you’re speaking to the ghost of a dead man. Your dismissive manner is what offends me the most. Leave.”
Thomas’s eyes burned out as he exhaled a weighted breath. He thought to point out that Wyatt had not once asked for forgiveness or assumed any iota of fault during their conversation. But this thing between them—whatever it was—had run its course. He didn’t want to look at this purebred anymore. Nor ever again.
“Very well, I… I’ll give you some time to come to your senses. Then we’ll talk again.”
“You’re determined to have the last word, aren’t you?” Thomas said. “Because everything must revolve around you and your desires at all times.”
“I—” Wyatt pursed his lips, turned and stalked out the door. When it was closed and Thomas was alone, he collapsed down into his seat and slouched there, drained, wretched and confused.
What had he hoped to accomplish from the meeting? Yes, he’d wanted to know if Wyatt had been the one to inform his fathers of his whereabouts. But then what? Did he blame Wyatt for what happened to him? Was it right to, or was his imprisonment simply the consequences of his own actions?
Further, the consequences for his very existence—for being born unto a strict, selfish and hateful man who would do anything to have his will obeyed, including abusing his first child.
Thomas sat slumped in the chair for a long moment, staring into space. He’d expected Mira to come back to check on him and clear away the barely used tea service. So he was surprised when he sensed Cameron coming toward the room. Soon, there was a quiet knock against the door.
“Yes?” Thomas called.
Cameron stepped inside. “He’s gone?”
“He’s gone.”
“That went as quickly as you wished it would.”
“It did indeed.”
A soft pause. Still by the door, Cameron rubbed the back of his neck. “Would you like to be left alone? Or do you prefer company?”
Thomas smiled weakly. “I would very much prefer your company, thank you.” Cameron nodded, closed the door, then headed to sit across from Thomas, in the same seat Wyatt had occupied moments earlier. Thomas pushed himself upright to sit straighter.
“Did he answer your question?” Cameron asked, his pretty hazel eyes fully alert.
“Yes,” Thomas said, sighing. “Apparently, my younger father came to the university to ask after me. Wyatt told him where I’d gone—not specifically, but once they had an area to target, my distinct nature would be easy for them to pinpoint.”
“How disappointing to learn that an alleged friend is a major catalyst in your subsequent ruination,” Cameron mused. “Was he remorseful, at least? About his hand in everything. Did you tell him what happened afterward?”
